Low Protein Food and Improper Food Combining

Low protein food along with improper food combining may lead to a deficiency of essential amino acids.

Protein sources are not all created equal! Low protein foods are almost always incomplete protein sources. Also, the absorption of protein sources that are complete proteins can be lowered by improper food combining.

In general low protein foods are fruits and vegetables. However, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds are also considered low protein foods because most will not contain all of the essential amino acids that the human body needs in order to thrive.

Low Protein Foods- Protein Content in Grams

1 cup Cooked Chickpeas - 15 grams

1/4 cup of Flax Seeds - 8 grams

1 cup Cooked Wild Rice - 7 grams

1 Cooked Potato w/Skin - 5 grams

1 Medium Raw Avocado - 4 grams

1/4 cup of Raw Almonds - 7 grams

1 cup of Cooked Barley - 5 grams

1 cup Cooked Broccoli - 3.7 grams

1 cup Raw Blackberries - 2 grams

1 cup Raw Raspberries - 1.5 grams

1 cup Cooked Black Beans - 15 grams

1 cup Cooked Green Peas - 9 grams

1 cup Cooked Asparagus - 4.3 grams

1 cup Button Mushrooms - 3.9 grams

1 cup of Shredded Lettuce - .99grams

In general, combining a low protein food with another low protein food is needed to create a complete protein. Beans and whole grain rice is one famous example.

However, animal foods and seafood are complete protein sources with a higher digestibility rate that will provide the right amount of essential amino acids. They are not considered low protein foods.

Are You Properly Digesting Protein?

Protein digestibility helps to determine a protein sources' ability to be digested. Depending on the protein source, your body will be able to break down
protein into amino acids with the help of enzymes and digestive juices.

Protein is a macro-nutrient that we need an adequate amount of every day to sustain our health and energy needs.

In order to sustain your health, the protein that you consume will need to be broken down into individual amino acids that can be absorbed into your bloodstream.

The amino acids will then be delivered to where they are needed in your body. You body can then reconstruct the amino acids as needed to keep your body strong and healthy.

Cooked Proteins

The way that food is prepared and processed will have a great impact on its ability to give you adequate protein. For example, pasteurized milk will be greatly impacted by its ability to give you protein because its protein has been denatured and cooked.

On the other hand raw milk contains bio-available protein that has not been altered and is more easily digested.

On the flip side, grains and legumes will need to be cooked in order to receive any protein from these plant foods.

Anti-Nutrients in Low Protein Foods

Low protein foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains come with lots of anti-nutrients that can block protein absorption if they are not deactivated.

Anti-nutrients like enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, tannins, and oxalates can prevent enzymes from digesting proteins. Enzymes play a major role with the digestion of protein and help to break down peptide bonds to release amino acids

Improper Food Combining Creates low Protein Foods

Proteins and Starches

Combining at the same meal foods requiring both acid and alkaline digestive juices is probably responsible for 90% of digestive problems that will result in putrefied food.

The digestion of protein rich animal foods requires high levels of hydrochloric acid or an acidic environment. However, the digestion of carbohydrate rich foods requires a more alkaline environment.

When you mix the two, they cancel each other out and both will not be properly digested. The starches will start to ferment and the animal proteins will putrefy.

Proteins and Fats

High amounts of fat will inhibit the secretion of gastric juices needed to properly digest meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. Which is why eating deep fried chicken is so hard on your digestion.

Fat in moderation with high protein sources will not be a problem.

Protein and Fiber

Too much fiber can affect the absorption of protein. Whole grains,
legumes, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits can all be great sources of
fiber.

Fiber can form a gel-like structure in your digestive tract that can shield nutrients and protein from being digested. High fiber foods also have a tendency to be more alkaline which will disrupt the digestion of acidic animal foods.

Minimize the amount of fiber that you consume with acidic protein sources.

Do Standard Food Combining Rules Apply to Raw Protein Sources?

In general, raw foods will contain bio-available proteins that have not been denatured and are more easily digested. And in general fruits should not be consumed with acidic protein sources - especially cooked protein sources.

However, in the raw food world - the rules are a little different when it comes to concentrated protein sources. For example, eating a raw salad with a cooked steak is good, but eating a raw salad with steak tartare is not.

Never combine most high alkaline raw foods with raw meats or fish. An example would be a large raw leafy green salad, green juice, or bananas.

However, some alkaline fruits can be eaten with raw cheese, raw milk, raw nuts, and even raw eggs.

Acidic fruits like lemon juice or lime juice can be eaten with raw fish or seafood to make a ceviche as long as some sort of raw fat is combined.

Avocado and acidic fruits like tomatoes can be eaten with raw acidic protein sources.